About
Mary served the Duluth Public Schools as a high school English teacher, administrator, and district technology integrationist for 25 years prior to beginning UW-Superior. Since her hire as a faculty member at UW-Superior in 2011, Mary has served as the Educator Preparation Program Coordinator and Chair of the Department of Education until making a decision to focus on full-time teaching in Fall 2022.
She believes that students need to be guided to become responsible for their own learning, so they become true lifelong learners. This is not a philosophy that can be assumed without work from both teacher and learner. The teacher must take on the role of facilitator or guide and work with the learner to acquire critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Learners must be able to access information as the facilitator will no longer be the primary source for content. She teaches because she believes in the power of education. The rewards still outweigh the challenges, and she still feels she can make a difference in students’ lives. By helping students become lifelong learners and by guiding them through the process of becoming responsible for their educations, doors will open that were previously closed.
Outside of school, Mary enjoys gardening, camping, fishing, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.
Research Interests
Mary’s research interests are primarily grounded in the scholarship of teaching and learning and focused on K-12 education. This interest was most likely founded in her belief that all children have the right to a quality education and that she spent 25 years working for the Duluth Public Schools as a teacher and administrator. During her doctoral program, Mary focused her studies and research on instructional design for online learning. This led her to combine her interests to conduct her doctoral research on at-risk high school students and online learning. It was a match that she enjoyed exploring. Mary’s research now also includes utilizing technology within the teacher education program and both on-campus and online courses.
Awards
- 2022 – Spirit of Superior Award, University of Wisconsin-Superior
- 2016 – Spirit of Superior Team Award, University of Wisconsin-Superior
- 2014 – Teaching/Online Teaching Excellence Award, University of Wisconsin-Superior
Education
- 2010 – Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) – Education/Instructional Design for Online Learning, Capella University
- 1993 – Master of Science (M.S.) – Education/Educational Administration, University of Wisconsin-Superior
- 1985 – Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) – English Education, University of Minnesota Duluth